Typically, a tolerance ring comprises a strip of resilient material, e.g. a metal such as spring steel, which is rolled so that the ends are brought towards one another to form a ring split through its circumference. The split can allow the ring to conform to the shape of the shaft and/or bore during assembly and, in some cases, in service. One or more lines of projections can be formed around the ring, the projections extending radially inwardly and/or outwardly from the ring. The projections can be formations such as corrugations, ridges, waves, dimples or spring fingers.
In use, the projections can be compressed between the walls of the shaft and bore. Each projection can act like a spring and exerts a radial force against the components, thereby providing an interference fit between them.
Tolerance rings may facilitate assembly since they can compensate for manufacturing tolerances in the shaft and/or bore. They can also have other benefits, such as compensating for shape and/or dimension changes caused by bore and shaft materials having different thermal expansion properties. In addition, tolerance rings can compensate for angular and radial misalignment of the shaft and bore, and can be used to reduce or control vibration or resonance effects. When an excessive torque is applied to the shaft, a tolerance ring can also allow predictable and repeatable slip to occur.
However, split ring tolerance rings can be difficult to store, transport and handle loose because they tend to become interlocked and tangled up, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. This may be a problem for end users, who may have to manually separate the rings.